Chapter Twenty-Four Hayden
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
HAYDEN
M y parents had been out of town seven days already, and I was doing fine. I missed them, and Gwen missed them a ton, but I wasn’t flailing around with my head cut off. Charlotte was a huge factor in that. I knew that. But maybe I needed to prove to myself that I could do this. Foolish, probably, but despite one major throw-up incident and having to cancel one night with Charlotte, we’d been okay.
“I can’t believe we have to pretend we aren’t together.” Charlotte’s voice came over the speaker in my truck. Gwen and I were on our way to the annual Calhoun Week Before Christmas potluck. This year’s landed on a Sunday. So did the wedding, one week away.
Charlotte spent almost every night at my house, sneaking over after Gwen went to bed, and sneaking out before she woke up. I didn’t want Gwen to be confused about Charlotte yet—she was just Aunt Lotte to my daughter. Whenever I thought about explaining what Charlotte meant to me, my chest tightened, and I froze.
I loved Charlotte, but I wasn’t ready to bring Gwen into it yet.
I sighed. “I know. Why did we agree to this again?”
“My brother,” she groaned. “Is it silly that I missed you last night?”
That ache in my chest loosened. She didn’t spend the night last night. Christian, and now Penny, and Charlotte always spent the night at the Calhouns’ watching holiday movies. It was another Calhoun tradition. I’d also been invited, but this year Gwen needed some stability at home with my parents leaving.
“I missed you too.” I smiled and made the turn into their neighborhood. I didn’t want to think about it too hard, but Charlotte had slipped into my life with such ease that I don’t know how I had lived without her before. Her laughter filled my house at night, and I awoke with a smile all week. Were we moving too fast? Probably. But I knew what I wanted, and it was her. “Any crazy Calhoun traditions that I don’t know about after dinner?”
“Mm, we might go look at lights, but that’s it. Why?”
“Because I want you to myself. I have a feeling today is going to be a struggle.” A few cars already lined the side of the street, Charlotte’s familiar Mazda right in front of the house. I parked right behind her. If she brought a change of clothes with her, I could just follow her back to my house. “I just got here.”
“Yeah, I’m watching you from the window. I’m annoying myself with how excited I am to see you.”
I glanced into the house, not seeing her in any windows. Then I looked upstairs, her old room, and she stood with her hand raised. She wore a red-and-green sweater that hugged her curves, and her hair was down in soft waves. “God, you look beautiful.”
“You can’t even see me from the truck,” she said, but I could hear the smile in her voice.
“Are we there? Is Uncle C there?” Gwen screamed from the back. She hadn’t glanced up from her electronic game the entire ride, but now she was ready. “And Mama C?”
“Yes, honey. We’ll get you unbuckled, and you can go see everyone.” My baby girl squealed and clapped her hands. She’d been doing better after having a short, twelve-hour flu. It was disgusting, but Charlotte had been super helpful. She did laundry and ran to get food while I was on cleanup and cuddle duty.
There was a moment when Charlotte saw me wearing rubber gloves and smelling like vomit, but she smiled at me and shrugged. She was completely unfazed and so willing to help out that I instantly thought about building a life with her. She was such a teammate, and fuck, I wanted to keep her forever.
“No heated looks today, alright? I’m not sure I can be chill.” Charlotte moved from the window. “See you inside, handsome.”
She hung up, and now I had a big-ass smile on my face. I loved knowing Charlotte struggled as much as I did. One of her concerns from three years ago was that there was a power imbalance of feelings. There wasn’t this time. We were both in this.
After undoing my seat belt and grabbing a bag of presents, I undid Gwen’s buckle. The front door opened.
“Uncle C, Uncle C!” Gwen sprinted from my truck toward the front door, jumping onto Christian before he could set his drink down.
This damn kid had no fear.
“Hi, girlie.” Christian kissed the top of her head and hoisted her on his hip. “You look older. Are you five?”
“No! Three!” She held up her fingers. “I’m three!”
“Are you seven?”
“No! Three, Uncle C! Three!”
“Is this a new jacket? I like it. I also love your hair.”
“My daddy did it.” She beamed at me, making my heart do the stutter thing it did every time I saw her happy.
Gwen might get sick and ruin plans, keep me up at night and fight me at every turn, but this three-year-old tyrant was the best part of my life. Shaking my head, I clapped Christian on the back. “Still trying to be her favorite?”
“Already am.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” I said, just as Gwen spotted Charlotte. The only other person on the planet who made my heart swell.
“Auntie Lotte!”
“Gwyneth Paltrow!” Charlotte yanked her from her brother’s hands and snuggled her. It didn’t matter that we’d seen her two days ago, she seemed genuinely happy to hug my daughter. “How’s my favorite girl?”
“So good. I built a dinosaur today with blocks, and it was tall. I named him Dino!”
“You clever, clever girl.” Charlotte winked at me before walking deeper into her parents’ house. This place was a second home to me after spending so much time here growing up.
The familiar scents of cinnamon and laundry mixed with firewood greeted me. Christian mumbled something about a football game, but I didn’t respond. Charlotte handed my girl over to her mom and dad, who spoiled her rotten with hugs and little presents.
My chest tightened, like someone had increased the pressure in my lungs. How did Gwen get this fucking lucky, to have all these people in her life?
The Calhouns were the best type of people, and nerves fluttered at the thought of being openly with Charlotte. They always treated me well, but would they be okay with me dating their daughter? Being Christian’s childhood best friend was vastly different from dating Charlotte. What if… no. I stopped my thoughts from straying.
Shit. Was it hot in here? I fanned my jacket over my chest, getting some fresh air in there.
“Hayden, son, it’s been too long.” Father Christmas himself, or Mr. Calhoun, approached me with a bear hug. The man grew his beard out after Halloween every year so he looked like Santa by the time the holidays rolled around. His signature green-and-red sweater was paired with overalls and black boots.
He was a damn hoot.
“Great to see you, sir.” I hugged him back. “Thanks for sending over the doll bed for Gwen. She’s going to love it.”
“Of course. She’s our granddaughter at this point.” He rolled his eyes. “My wife promised to buy three outfits for her dolls, but guess how many she bought. Twelve.”
I smiled. “Thank you, she shouldn’t have.”
“The day I try and stop my wife from doing anything, let alone stop spoiling your daughter, is the day my marriage will suffer. I won’t do it. I know my limits. Find me later to play some Ping-Pong. Christian thinks he’s good, but I need some real competition.”
“Of course.”
He left me to tend to the fire, patting his potbelly with pride. Calhoun get-togethers were famous for their smoked meats and desserts, and my mouth watered even thinking about it. Where were my girls?
I found them in the kitchen. Charlotte was helping Gwen put on a cute apron as they stood at the counter with Mrs. Calhoun. There was an assembly line for decorating cookies already. Charlotte booped Gwen on the nose with flour, and that ache in my chest grew. It seemed almost foolish that I had stayed away for three years when Charlotte fit in with my life so well. I scratched my chest, clearing my throat to ease the uncomfortable lump.
“Char, hon, you tell Hayden here about your interview?” her mom said.
“Yeah, we had a chance to talk about it last weekend at the resort.” She smiled at me, a small blush creeping up her cheeks. I knew what that blush meant, and I winked. “We’re going to hit the booster angle and all the ways I’m connected to the community.”
“That’s a genius idea! He’s been such a good coach at the college level. I bet you have so many ideas, don’t you, Coach Porter?” Her mom beamed at me just like she had the last decade. Mrs. Calhoun took anyone into her home and poured love into them.
What would she think about Charlotte and me being together? The ache intensified. If she or Charlotte’s dad didn’t approve, that would gut me. Suddenly, I wished I had worn something nicer. Like a polo and slacks instead of jeans and a sweatshirt. I was probably too sloppy.
“I might’ve asked some hard questions, but the ideas were all Charlotte’s. She’s ready. They won’t know what hit them at that interview.”
Charlotte pointed the icing utensil at me. “You helped me a lot, actually. While everyone else was skiing, we worked on a plan for a program and a way to reach out to boosters. I feel so much more prepared.” She sighed, and a flash of worry crossed her face before she smiled again. “It’s a long shot going against Chad, so I’m going into that interview with the goal of making it the most difficult choice they have ever made in their lives.”
“I didn’t raise no quitter. Not my girl.” Her dad jutted his chin at her and nodded. “You’re gonna kick butt and make Chad regret ever being a butt to you.”
“My friends have butts,” Gwen chimed in, her cute little voice making everyone laugh. “I touch them sometimes.”
“Gwen, we don’t touch others’ butts. That’s in the no-touch zone, remember?” I said, pinching between my brows. “We talked about what no-touch zones are.”
“I know. But it’s fun.”
“She’s not wrong.” Christian glanced up from his game, clearly proud of himself for his remark. That earned him a middle finger from me.
This family. I laughed into my hands, grateful for and amused at being a part of this wonderful madness. Throw in the Christmas decorations in every corner, and this place was straight out of a reality TV show. There was a curated playlist of Mrs. Calhoun’s favorite holiday songs, and no one—not even Santa himself—could adjust the playlist.
Last year, I had parked my ass on the couch and waited for people to approach me. They’d fawn all over Gwen, and I’d laugh and never let my gaze move too far from her. This time? I took it all in. It felt different knowing I was with Charlotte. She and Gwen danced to the song, Gwen laughing loudly as Charlotte spun her in a circle.
My lips tugged into a smile. Charlotte was coming back home with us. I could be patient until then.
“Need a beer, my dude?” Christian put an arm around my shoulders and shook me. Despite me being slightly older, he acted like the older sibling in our relationship.
I shoved him away. “Sure.” A cold drink sounded nice, especially when Charlotte kept looking at me and blushing.
“Oh! Drinks!” Mrs. Calhoun set a bowl of dough down and clapped her hands. “Penny, honey, I bought all the supplies for this peppermint shot thing. My friend Beatrice has been going on about it, and I want to make her jealous. Could we all do one and take a photo?”
“Oh.” Penny stilled as she was midstep toward the hallway. Her already large eyes widened as she quickly glanced at Christian. There was a plea in her expression, and my skin prickled.
She looked worried. Why?
“I’ll make them with you, Mom.” Christian smiled, but it was tight, not quite meeting his eyes. “You show me where the ingredients are, I’ll make the best damn drink you’ve ever had. And we can take some great photos to post to make your friends weep with envy.”
Mrs. Calhoun grinned. “That’s my boy!”
“Competitive in everything. I’m so proud.” Mr. Calhoun lifted his mug of beer from the recliner. “To winners!”
Everyone repeated the words, but Charlotte frowned. Her attention shifted from me toward the hallway where Penny moved to, clearly saying, Go follow her .
I nodded at Gwen, to which Charlotte patted my daughter’s head. If I weren’t a little concerned about Penny, then I would’ve smiled at the fact that Char and I were communicating with looks. It felt so familiar and comfortable.
But Penny acted out of character, and I wanted to check on her. I jogged up the stairs and searched Christian’s old room, then Charlotte’s. Both empty. Then a horrible, animal-like sound came from the bathroom. Shit.
I tapped the bathroom door. “Penny, it’s Hayden. Can I come in?”
“No.”
Another retching sound. My stomach soured. I wasn’t a big fan of throwing up. Who the hell was?
“Okay, I’m coming in to make sure you’re alright.”
“Hayden—”
She got sick again.
Before going in, I jogged back to Christian’s room and snatched a bottle of water left on his side table. I pushed in the door, and my heart clenched for my friend. She sat on the ledge of the tub and held her head in her hands. Her skin was pale, and her chest heaving.
“Hon, what do you need?” I crouched and went into help mode. I ignored the smell of puke and assessed her. “Water? Doctor? Soda?”
“This can’t be normal.” She sniffed and glanced up at me with tears welling. “I can’t stop throwing up. It started Monday and every morning and afternoon, sometimes middle of the night. It’s constant, Hayden.”
That sounded like…
“Penny.” I took her hand and held it. “Are you pregnant?”
She nodded as her face crumpled. “I’m so happy. So fucking happy but I’m miserable and I’m only eight weeks. How am I gonna survive thirty-two of these?”
So much made sense now. It all clicked together. My first thought was Oh, I need to tell Charlotte , but I stopped. This was Penny’s news to share, hopefully with Christian already. “Look at me, please.”
She did as tears streamed down her cheeks. “I can’t be like this on my wedding day. I can’t… We weren’t supposed to get pregnant this fast.”
I rubbed her hands because they were so cold and clammy. “There is no right or wrong time to start a family. Take it from me, I’m a prime example of how surprises can turn out to be the best thing in the world.”
She snorted. “We weren’t going to tell anyone until after the wedding.”
“Then don’t.”
“I can’t… hide this, if I’m sick,” she mumbled. “This is so embarrassing.”
“Why? Because I’m holding your hand in a bathroom while you throw up? Penny, we’ve done way weirder and more embarrassing shit together in our decade of friendship. This is why you have friends: to help you when you’re a little down. You and Christian volunteered to watch my daughter so I could do my job. That wasn’t a burden, right?”
She shook her head.
“Then please don’t worry about me. Your secret is safe with me. It’s your and Christian’s news. Now, I have some thoughts on the matter, but I’m not going to give out unsolicited advice.”
She rolled her eyes. “Since when has that stopped you?”
Chuckling, I released her hand and grabbed a towel. I wet it and placed it on the back of her neck. “I learned with Gwen that leaning on the people you love and trust the most is the best thing you can do for yourself. I guarantee, if you tell the people downstairs, they will do anything you ask to keep it secret, to make sure you’re okay on your wedding day. I’ll help in any way I can, but the Calhouns are pretty fucking special people.”
Something flashed in her eyes, and a little color crept into her face. “Hop, are you finally admitting you’re interested in Charlotte?”
I coughed, caught off guard. “This is about you.”
“No, no way.” She grinned.
I was glad she had regained color in her face, but this new line of conversation was off the table. “Hey, I’m not keeping anything from you to hurt you. If anything, we agreed to not mention a damn thing until after the wedding because we don’t want to take a single ounce of attention from you and Christian. Please let this one go.”
She nodded. “I like how there was a lot of the use of we . That means you are a team.”
“Well, I really like the fact that I’m gonna be an uncle soon.”
Her eyes welled up again, and she threw herself at me. “I’m gonna be a mom. Holy shit.”
I squeezed her back just as the bathroom door opened. Christian walked in, his brows set in worry.
“Pen, are you okay? What do you need? I brought soda and crackers.”
My best friend hoisted her from my arms and cradled her against his chest. The sight of the two of them had me instantly thinking about Charlotte. Oof. Keeping this from her would be hard, but it wasn’t my secret to tell.
“Thanks for helping her.” Christian met my gaze over Penny’s shoulder, his expression serious. “I’m assuming—”
“I figured it out? Yeah.” I grinned, hope bursting in my gut. “I’m gonna be a fucking uncle.”
Christian’s facade broke and he smiled. “And I’m gonna be a fucking dad.”
“Okay, enough, you two.” Penny slid off Christian and wiped under her eyes. “I’m ready.”
“You sure?” Christian placed a hand on her stomach. “We can go home. I’ll find an excuse.”
“No, I’m ready to tell them downstairs. I’m sorry for making you keep this secret. I know you wanted to tell everyone at the resort, but you had been talking about that trip for weeks, and I figured it would’ve changed the whole vibe.”
“Baby, I’m sorry I pushed you to share it,” Christian said, holding her hand. “I’m following your lead now, it’s all you.”
“Ah.” It clicked together. The fight Charlotte and I overheard. Penny wanted to hide the news, Christian didn’t.
They both looked at me. “This is a very intimate moment for three grown-ups to be in this small bathroom, but Charlotte and I overheard you two arguing and thought you were fighting about the wedding. We worked our asses off in that competition to make you guys happy.”
Penny snorted. “Oh, there was no way in hell we wouldn’t get married. Glad it motivated you both though.”
“Yeah.” Christian pulled Penny into him. “I’ll talk to Char about that. Kinda funny, if you ask me.”
“I’m happy for you both. Seriously.” I grinned. “Gwen is gonna be the best cousin ever.”
“Dude, everyone is gonna lose their minds with excitement once they find out,” Christian said, rubbing Penny’s shoulder. “You want to stay up here a bit or head back down?”
“I thought I wanted a cute announcement or something, but telling everyone today feels more natural. Let’s go.”
Penny held Christian’s hand as they returned downstairs. A part of me was jealous. I would’ve loved to have Gwen with someone I loved and been there for every step of the process. Visions of Charlotte being pregnant crossed my mind, and the floor about fell away from me. How could I be thinking that when it had been a damn week?
“Everyone,” Penny said, her watery voice enough to have everyone stop what they were doing. Charlotte and Gwen stopped mixing frosting. Mr. Calhoun set his beer down and leaned forward. Mrs. Calhoun set her phone down.
“What is it, Pen? You feeling okay?” Mrs. Calhoun asked.
“Christian and I want to share some good news.” She smiled. “I’m pregnant.”